A clear law needed for conducting referendum: CEC

Staff Reporter:
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin yesterday said that it is necessary to for-mulate a clear law for conducting the referendum.
“The law needs to be made first on how the referendum will be held. Once the law is made, then we will have a responsibility,” he said yesterday while addressing the second session on the fourth-day dialogue with political parties marking the 13th parliament elections at the Nirbachan Bhaban in the city.
Nasir Uddin said many raised questions about the referendum. But without a law, it is not possible to decide on the referendum method, ballot, ballot box or all the structures, he added.
He mentioned that the referendum law was previously enacted by Shaheed President Ziaur Rah-man and Hussain Muhammad Ershad, now it is necessary to enact a law again. After the law is enacted, the EC will start practicing and preparing for this, he added.
Citing his experience of watching elections since the Pakistan era, the CEC said, “We have to move forward taking into account the political and social reality of the country. I have to feel the heat wave of political reality. The social reality is also like that.”
“So, we are moving forward with this policy of ‘less talk, more action’,” he said.
He mentioned that the presence of CCTV and journalists is important for organizing a transparent election.
He said, “If there are good observers transparency will increase. I don’t want to conduct elections secretly. The journalists will have cameras, we will have CCTV cameras. We want transparency.”
Nasir Uddin said that the EC will not compromise on justice, laws and rules. The commission will remain steadfast in carrying out its duties impartially. For this, the cooperation of political parties, law enforcement agencies and voters is required, he added.
The EC held a dialogue with BNP, Gana Adhikar Parishad (GOP), Nagorik Oikya, Bangladesh Re-publican Party (BRP) and BSP Marxist (New Party) in the afternoon session yesterday.
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh Minority Janata Party, Insaniat Biplob Bangladesh, Na-tional Citizens Party (NCP), Gana Sanghati Andolan, Jatiyatabadi Ganatantrik Andolan (NDM) and Bangladesh Labor Party participated in the morning.
Earlier, the Election Commission had completed dialogue with a total of 36 political parties, 12 each in two sessions on November 13, 16 and 17.